WHY YOUR WORKOUTS FEEL TOO HARD (Not What You Think...) | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 563

🚀Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠ 🤝Join the TrainerRoad Zwift Club 🚴 https://trainerroad.cc/TRzwiftclub // SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST! iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠ Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠ // TOPICS COVERED (0:00:00) Alex Drops a Big Announcement (0:08:19) Why Threshold Feels Brutal (Even When Fitness Is Up) (0:10:21) The Indoor Setup Fix Most People Miss (Match) (0:11:30) The Hidden Reason You’re Stuck: No Real Cycles (0:18:18) Stop Guessing: Rate Workouts the Right Way (0:24:37) The #1 Endurance Mistake: “Easy” Rides Too Hard (0:36:11) Race Pacing Autopsy: Where It Was Won (and Lost) (0:41:27) Rapid-Fire Answers You’ll Actually Use (0:49:27) Plans for your event (gravel, Zwift racing, touring, more) (0:51:22) “My longest workout is 1:30… is that enough for a long race?” (0:56:23) How many intensity days per week should you do? (0:56:53) “Which plan should I pick?” (custom plan vs presets) (0:57:17) “I don’t want to follow a plan” (how to train without feeling boxed in) (0:58:49) When to add strength training (without wrecking key workouts) (0:59:33) Cross-training: “I also do another sport” (how the plan accounts for it) (1:01:58) Vacation, sickness, missed days: “Will it adjust when life happens?” (1:06:55) Quick edits: swap to a shorter or longer workout on the fly (1:03:58) “I already know my FTP… do I need AI FTP Detection?” (1:05:42) Training outside: how to execute workouts outdoors (1:03:36) “Is this only for serious racers?” (training for fun still works) (1:07:31) “Is it going to be boring?” (how people actually do it) (1:09:08) “What makes TrainerRoad different?” (1:15:14) “Can I talk to someone if I have questions?” (coaches + help) In this episode, Alex Wild and Coach Jonathan break down why your workouts can feel way too hard even when your fitness is improving, and the culprit usually isn’t motivation or toughness, it’s how the week is structured. They unpack an athlete calendar to show how intensity can quietly creep in on “easy” days, why that makes threshold feel brutal, and how better training cycles, real recovery space, and honest post-workout ratings get progress moving again. The second half turns into a rapid-fire TrainerRoad FAQ, covering how to train for specific events, what to do when you’re prepping for a long race but the longest workout looks too short, how to build a season with multiple races, how many intensity days to target, how to choose a plan or train without feeling locked into one, and how to fit strength training and cross-training into the week. They also hit the real-life stuff that makes people hesitate to sign up, like vacations, sickness, missed workouts, making quick swaps to shorter or longer sessions, FTP and AI FTP Detection, training outside, integrating a weekly group ride, whether TrainerRoad is only for serious racers, what makes it different from other options, and how to get help when you have questions. // RESOURCES MENTIONED Alex’s Instagram:   / alexwildmtb   Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸   / trainerroad   Join the TrainerRoad Zwift Club 🚴 ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/trzwiftclub⁠ // TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS! https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating. // HELPFUL LINKS Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠  / ⁠   TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠ TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠  / strava   TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠  / trainerrd⁠   TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠ Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠ Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN